


Happiness In Venice

by pressxforfeels



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 16:26:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20118070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressxforfeels/pseuds/pressxforfeels
Summary: Nadine Ross and Chloe Frazer are on the hunt for the latest treasure in Venice, Italy. After days of not having any luck Nadine is tired, Chloe is frustrated, and Nadine decides enough is enough.





	Happiness In Venice

Nadine Ross was content -- no, _happy_.

It wasn’t as though this was the first time that Nadine had been able to make such a claim. She hadn’t lived a miserable life, not by any means, but it had always felt like something could’ve been better. A something that she never quite figured out, had always guessed at.

When she was younger it had been if she had more time with her father then she’d be happier. If she could prove herself in her career then she’d be happier, if she found someone to share her bed with then maybe that’d be it. If she could turn Shoreline into a success where her father had failed then that’d be it, that would be the thing that would make her happier.

Or perhaps it wasn’t even that, maybe it was more akin to going from contentment _to_ happiness.

Honestly, it didn’t matter what it had been in the past, because right now Nadine knew she was happy. The same way that she knew a lot of said happiness had to do with not only her current situation, but her current treasure hunting partner.

At least it was most of the time.

“Frazer,” Nadine started with a sigh, rolling over onto her side so that she could get a better look at the other woman, “I think you’ve been working on that long enough.”

Working with Chloe Frazer had been... interesting. Exciting. _Thrilling_.

In the beginning it was a means to an ends, a way for Nadine to prove that she was not only capable of taking Shoreline back but that, that was the only outcome that made any sense at all. She’d agreed to work for the treasure hunter (which had turned into _with_) so that she could accomplish that goal having no idea at the time that it’d turn into something more.

A partnership.

If someone had told her that, that was the way their adventure in Hoysala would end up she would’ve laughed right in their face. Scoffed and told them that they were certifiable, that she’d never work with a thief like Chloe Frazer.

And yet there she was -- in a hotel room in Venice, Italy, laying in bed as she watched the brunette work on pinpointing the location of their latest treasure (or was it the clue that was meant to lead to it?).

A sight that she normally didn’t mind, although given that it was half past two in the morning... well, Nadine minded.

She rolled her eyes at the lack of response she had received, waiting another minute before she tried again. “_Frazer_.” This time she heard Chloe ‘hm’ in response, still clearly distracted by the scattered papers in front of her, an old map the one closest to her. “It’s late and I want to sleep.”

“Then close your eyes and sleep.”

There, _finally_, a response.

“I can’t while you’re scribbling and shuffling through papers.”

“What if I promise to be _really quiet_?” Chloe asked, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly. Something that could’ve been easily missed, but not by Nadine, not after having spent so much time with Chloe.

Not after spending so many months studying her features when she wasn’t looking, admiring them, appreciating them.

Something that she would never admit to -- the same way she wouldn’t admit to the feelings that might have come along with that.

Nadine sighed, trying to sound annoyed, knowing full well it was a pointless attempt while there was also a small smile forming on her features. “I don’t think you’ve ever done anything quietly.”

Chloe laughed softly, “Point taken.” lifting her head to look at Nadine. “Still, we won’t get anywhere without finishing these.” She tapped on the map in front of her, eyebrows raising slightly.

“They’ll still be there tomorrow.” Nadine countered, holding back another sigh as Chloe’s full attention shifted toward her, something that she’d come to realize meant a longer conversation with a ninety percent chance of Chloe being a smart-ass.

No, ninety-five.

“You told me before that you only work with professionals, right?”

It was a trap, she knew it was. “Ja.” It was a trap and yet she was still falling into it, knowing full well what was coming next.

“Ah, so then this should be what you want me to keep doing.”

Falling directly into it. Willingly. Not bypassing what she knew was coming.

Maybe it was because she was tired and couldn’t be bothered to interrupt Chloe’s fun, or maybe it was because she had come to enjoy this. Liked their back and forth, even when she wasn’t necessarily in the mood for it.

Nadine rolled over onto of her stomach, using her elbows to prop herself up, turning her head to look at Chloe once more. “How so?”

This time there was no question that, that was a smirk on Chloe’s lips, an expression that affected Nadine far more than she wanted to acknowledge -- than she _would_ acknowledge.

“Working diligently and efficiently is considered _professional_ in most circles. Not to mention the faster I get this figured out the faster that we’ll be able to find the damn thing.” She rolled her eyes, “Or where to go next.”

Venice was the third city that the two had been in, each piece of the puzzle leading somewhere else. A process that Chloe wasn’t unfamiliar with, a fact that didn’t seem to change how impatient she was becoming.

And that was it -- Chloe was impatient. _That_ was why she was working this late into the night, refocusing her efforts on the map before her (only after flashing another smirk in Nadine’s direction). It was all impatience and frustration, something that she could certainly relate to.

She wanted to get the treasure just as badly as Chloe did.

But she also wanted to _sleep_.

“It is, but this late at night it’s also annoying.”

“Well then that’s even more perfect for me.” Chloe shrugged, the amusement lacing through her words obvious even without seeing her expression.

And as far as Chloe Frazer went it was an innocent enough exchange, by no means the most irritating and frustrating that Nadine had ever found her, but it was late and she was tired.

That’s what it was, a lack of sleep and feeling tired, that’s what she would blame her actions on later.

“That’s it.” Nadine muttered, pushing herself up and getting out of the bed, making her way over to the makeshift work station that Chloe had set up using the coffee table and two end tables that had resided in their small hotel room. She placed her hands on the table and leaned forward. A tactic that she used in the hopes of intimidating the other woman enough to distract her, or even get her to stop entirely, and something that she really should’ve known wouldn’t work.

Instead the result was an even more amused Chloe Frazer who glanced up for a few seconds, long enough to convey just how entertained she happened to be by the situation, knowing full well she was the one in control where Nadine wanted to be.

At least that’s what she thought.

There wasn’t a chance that either of the women could predict what Nadine would do next -- again, actions that she was planning to blame on sleep deprivation -- that she would push herself off of the table and move behind Chloe. That instead of just taking her pencil, grabbing for the map, or even trying to pull Chloe out of her seat, that her fingers would find the other’s side, lightly wiggling against them.

Of course, Nadine also couldn’t have anticipated the squeal that left Chloe’s lips, or how much that would spur her on.

Without saying anything -- and ignoring Chloe’s attempt to brush off what had just happened -- Nadine fingers moved back to her sides, fluttering as lightly as the first time, a smile spreading when she had gotten an even better reaction.

Giggles.

“Nadine, this is -” Chloe started, her words turning into laughter when the fingers went from lightly moving to digging in, giving her no chance of completing the thought she had started.

She wasn’t sure how effective this would be, if it’d do anything other than momentarily stop Chloe from working, but Nadine didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything else other than hearing Chloe’s laughter, watching as she went between trying to grab for her wrists and squirming so much that she would’ve fallen out of her chair had Nadine not been paying attention and re-positioned her own body to prevent that.

“O-okay you can stop now!” Chloe sputtered out, hands finally finding Nadine’s, her face one of the lovelier shades of pink that Nadine could remember seeing.

“You’re going to bed then?” She asked with a laugh, moving from Chloe’s sides to her ribs.

The same way that she hadn’t been expecting Chloe’s earlier squeal, Nadine also didn’t expect what had happened next.

Chloe’s laughter kicked up a notch and where more squirming and pleas to stop were what Nadine would have expected, instead what she got were Chloe’s lips on her own.

Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a surprise if she’d been paying more attention to the other woman’s movements. Had noticed that Chloe had pulled herself closer, or had noticed at any point in the last few months that teasing words had turned more flirtatious, had held more meaning that she certainly could’ve imagined.

But, surprise or not, it _was_ an effective tactic.

Soon enough Nadine’s fingers stopped moving, her attention fully on what was happening elsewhere now. Her reaction was slow -- not the immediate reciprocation that she would’ve expected herself to give, too shocked by the moment, assuming that maybe the tactic was solely to stop the tickling and nothing more.

A thought that might’ve been a little silly -- well, _was_ silly, considering that the kiss hadn’t ended. In fact, once Chloe was able to calm herself more, her laughter turning to giggles and then ceasing all together, she put more effort into what she was doing.

Pulling Nadine even closer, making it clear that this was something that she wanted, something that she was doing on purpose.

Something that didn’t last nearly long enough if Chloe’s pout after she pulled away was any indicator. An expression that Nadine couldn’t help but laugh at, leaning down to give Chloe a tentative, short kiss, still unsure if this was okay, if this was what she wanted.

“I suppose we should both go to bed.”

“We should.”

Another quick kiss and Nadine’s worries were set aside.

Worries that would more than likely resurface in the morning, confusion at what had happened, and an inevitable need to examine her own feelings seriously, though for now that was all pushed aside. There was no way she could feel any of that with the way that Chloe was looking at her right now.

Chloe smiled as she pulled Nadine along to the bed that they had been sharing for the three nights they’d been in Venice so far, getting in first and not letting go of her hand until Nadine was in next to her.

“But don’t think this means that I won’t be getting you back for that, Ross.”

Oh, Nadine didn’t doubt that at all.

But she was also too happy to think about that now either.


End file.
